Before
you think I'm the biggest nerd that ever walked the
planet let me explain that I'm just older and wiser
and willing to accept more things than I did when
I was a stubborn teenager. Yes, I did hate everything
and I still do hate a lot of things, but I'm willing
to be more open regardless of what my friends think
about it - since I don't have many left.

I
don't hate karaoke; only some of the people that take
part in it. You see, besides being a game reviewer
I'm also musician. Some of you may be sick of hearing
this but we get millions of new readers every week
that would otherwise think I'm an idiot. If that's
the case, I will be the one to prove that I'm an idiot

Primarily
I'm a guitar player first, and a singer second. Singing
is not my passion as much as guitar playing is; it's
basically a term of employment. I've worked with so
many egotistical singers that it was much less of
a hassle to just do it myself. For me, karaoke is
the best way for me to practice my vocals. I don't
think I'm great and I find it embarrassing for me
to do it in public but I have to force myself to become
a better singer and performer and that's what karaoke
does for me. What really bugs my ass is people that
can't sing and don't know they can't sing but think
they can sing and annoy those that can. However, I
have nothing but the utmost respect for those that
can't sing, but know they need work, and are trying
their best.

Karaoke
Revolution Party is a step up from the rhythm/dance
games like Dance Dance Revolution. Everyone can dance
a little but if you can only sing a little, you are
likely not to have too many friends if you continue
to sing in their presence. Karaoke Revolution gives
you and your friends an excuse to express yourself
with a variety of songs in the comfort of someone's
home where you're unlikely to offend a bar full of
viscous drunks. You can also incorporate the DDR dance
mat to get your moves down - but I have to draw the
line somewhere, and I draw that line at dancing.

The
main difference between Karaoke Revolution Party and
a case full of karaoke CDs that can be played on your
old Radio Shack karaoke machine is the pitch detector.
I almost don't even care about the rest of the game.
I can't say enough about the pitch detector. It's
one of the most incredible tools available for potential
musicians, and I don't say that lightly.

Thank
God for the pitch detector. It detects one's vocal
input and judges the accuracy of each individual note
in the song and lets you know when you're singing
off key and on key. No more arguments or hard feelings
when you try to explain to your buddy that his rendition
of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic is more reminiscent
of the King of Pain. The pitch indicator is the denial
crusher. It will either make a bad singer better,
or better yet, make him or her quit singing altogether.
The music business is probably one of the only businesses
that you want to see a whole bunch of quitters. It
weeds out the losers from the people that really want
to develop their talent.

The
pitch detector can be set to various degrees of scrutiny.
There is an easy, normal and difficult mode. Work
your way up as you learn. It only detects pitch and
not words. So you can screw up on the words with no
repercussion but if you go off key you're going to
hear about it.

Obviously
all of these songs won't be for everyone though it's
good practice to attempt as many as you can stomach.
The tunes are firmly rooted in the pop and rock category
and range from Madonna to Aerosmith. Please, please,
please under any circumstance, and that includes drunkenness,
don't attempt any Aerosmith song. I've never heard
one person that could sing one of Tyler's songs properly.
It's doubtful that you can. But don't let me insult
you, let the pitch indicator do it for me. Did I mention
how much I love that pitch indicator?

Almost
all of the tunes are unlocked at the start to accommodate
those that only want to sing a specific style. There
are some unlockable tunes to keep you motivated but
they aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea. More
tunes are available online and can be downloaded for
a price. The tunes aren't performed by the original
artists but the cover bands do a very good job of
getting the tones down almost perfectly.

There
is a decided lack of hip-hop, not that I'm complaining,
but that stuff is really light on melody. It's more
rhythm oriented and I'm sure that Harmonix will cover
that genre shortly. Unlike Guitar Hero we also won't
be hearing heavy metal covers of Ozzy and Priest.
I would just have to repeat my Aerosmith plea should
someone attempt to sing like Halford or Osborne. It
might destroy the sensitive electronics that comprise
the pitch detector.

Do
you detect some pent-up aggression towards bad singers?
Yes, yes you do. And lots of it. Keep in mind that
this is only directed at bad singers with incredible
egos. Although I would never resort to physical violence
when encountering such people, I wouldn't mind watching
someone else punch them out. Konami's next game should
be a cross between a music game and a shooter. Instead
of the audience just booing the moron, they could
actually cut him or her to ribbons for a terrible
performance. After you've bombed in front of a live
audience there's no reason to go on living anyway
- and I would feel a lot better for being able to
release my rage with an Ak-47.

Speaking
of on-stage, each singer will have an character that
they perform through. You can unlock various costumes
to wear for their performances which include a virtual,
live backup band. The greatest animation sequences
occur when your character is the object of a bad audience
reaction which is directly related to your poor vocal
performance as judged by the pitch indicator.

Now
for the good news: If you don't have an ego you are
more likely to practice, thus conquering the song
and ultimately pleasing the pitch indicator and the
audience. You can do it. All it takes is dedication
and practice. You don't want to audition for American
Idol before you can master Karaoke Revolution unless
you want Simon to play the role of the pitch indicator
as he assesses your lack of talent in front of millions.

Although
it may not sound like it from my perspective, Karoake
Revolution is a hell of a lot of fun. It will help
separate the wheat from the chaff. It will make the
weak, strong, and the strong, stronger. It's great
for parties but it's also an incredible vocal tool
that I would have killed to have 20 years ago. The
Eye Toy (if you you're playing the PS2 version) gets
you into the act literally, while the dance pad (again
if you actually have one) will add some dance steps
to the mix. With the right group of people in your
house Karaoke Party could easily become the 'in' thing
to do on a Saturday night.

So
how did I do on this game? Let's just say that I still
need some work.